U.S. patent number 5,876,678 [Application Number 08/916,645] was granted by the patent office on 1999-03-02 for team spirit air freshener.
Invention is credited to Stacy Harrell, Steve Romanoli.
United States Patent |
5,876,678 |
Harrell , et al. |
March 2, 1999 |
Team spirit air freshener
Abstract
An air freshener which has a rigid plastic frame, a hollow shell
of translucent, open cell foam which is placed over the frame and
which is impregnated with a scent agent, a base which is removably
connected to the frame and which has a light bulb extending
therefrom into the interior of the frame for illuminating the shell
and for heating the scent agent to increase its dispersion. The
frame and shell are manufactured in the shape of a basketball,
baseball, or other piece of sports equipment and the shell is
imprinted with a name or team logo.
Inventors: |
Harrell; Stacy (Riverview,
FL), Romanoli; Steve (Riverview, FL) |
Family
ID: |
25437616 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/916,645 |
Filed: |
August 22, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
422/125; 422/5;
422/307; 392/393; 239/55; D23/368; D23/366; 239/53; 392/390;
422/123; 422/306 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61L
9/03 (20130101); A61L 9/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61L
9/015 (20060101); A61L 9/12 (20060101); A61L
9/03 (20060101); A61L 009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;422/4,5,120,123,124,125,306,307 ;392/387,390,393 ;239/53-55
;D23/366-368 ;222/187 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Thornton; Krisanne
Assistant Examiner: Moazzam; Fariborz
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Breaux; Joseph N.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An air freshener comprising:
a body having a scented portion, said body being translucent and
having a cavity therein for receiving a light bulb, said body
including a molded plastic frame constructed from a number of
spaced plastic ribs having openings therebetween and defining said
cavity therein, and an outer shell constructed from a translucent
open celled foam having a printable exterior surface, said outer
shell covering the frame and enclosing said space defined by said
frame except for a bottom opening through a bottom portion of said
frame, said outer shell being impregnated with a volatile scent
agent that disperses at a rate which is sensitive to heat;
a light bulb disposed within said cavity through said bottom
opening for illuminating said body, said light bulb having a power
switch with an on position in which said light bulb is illuminated
and an off position in which said light bulb is not illuminated,
said rate being at a first level when said light bulb is not
illuminated, said rate being at a second level higher than said
first level when said light bulb is illuminated.
2. The air freshener of claim 1, further comprising a net
enclosure, said body being disposed within said net enclosure, said
net enclosure having a loop at an upper end thereof for hanging
said net enclosure from an object.
3. The air freshener of claim 2, further comprising a base
connected to a lower end of said body, said base being shaped to
hold said body upright when said base is placed on a flat surface,
said base having a battery compartment and a battery disposed
within said battery compartment, said battery being electrically
connected to said light bulb to provide power thereto, said light
bulb being connected to said base, said base and said light bulb
being removable from said body.
4. The air freshener of claim 3 wherein said scented portion of
said body comprises a carrier which is impregnated with a scent
agent, said scent agent being volatile and dispersing at a rate
which is sensitive to heat, said rate being at a low level when
said light bulb is not illuminated, said rate being at a high level
when said light bulb is illuminated.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to air fresheners and more
particularly to an automobile air freshener which has the shape of
sports equipment such as a basketball or a baseball glove and which
has a small bulb therein for illuminating the air freshener and a
team logo thereon and also for enhancing the effectiveness of the
freshening agent by providing warmth to increase the activity of
the agent.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Because the interiors of automobiles are usually completely closed,
either to prevent the passengers' exposure to the weather or to
protect the contents of the vehicle, they can become stuffy, stale
and uncomfortable environments. Air fresheners are therefore widely
used to scent the air and provide a more pleasant conditions for
persons riding in the automobile. Air fresheners found in the prior
art include several different types, including scented liquids
which are sprayed into the air or onto the carpet, and solid
fresheners which are placed under the seats, on the dashboard or on
strings which allow the air freshener to be hung from the rear view
mirror.
The solid air fresheners are manufactured in a number of shapes.
The under-seat type of air freshener need not be attractively
packaged since it is to be placed out of sight and it may have a
simple cylindrical or box-shaped container. The hanging type, on
the other hand, is intended to be placed in a much more visible
location and attempts are therefore made to make the air freshener
more attractive, or at least to minimize its unattractiveness. This
is usually accomplished by manufacturing this type of air freshener
in a flat, card-like shape which can be printed on its two sides or
which can be cut into a silhouette, such as that of a pine tree.
Because these card-like air fresheners are typically just pieces of
porous cardboard-like material, they do not last as long as the
under-seat type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an air freshener
than can be hung from a rear view mirror or other protruding
object.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an air freshener
that has a three-dimensional shape resembling sports equipment.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an air
freshener that is manufactured in a form which is suitable for
displaying.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an air
freshener that provides an illuminated package for displaying a
name or team logo.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an air
freshener that has a warming element for enhancing the
scent-producing capacity of the air freshener.
Accordingly, an air freshener which has a rigid elastic frame, a
hollow shell of translucent, open cell foam which is placed over
the frame and which is impregnated with a scent agent, a base which
is removably connected to the frame and which has a light bulb
extending therefrom into the interior of the frame for illuminating
the shell and for heating the scent agent to increase its
dispersion is provided. The frame and shell are manufactured in the
shape of a basketball, baseball or other piece of sports equipment
and the shell is imprinted with a name or team logo so that the
logo can be displayed by hanging the air freshener from a rear view
mirror or by placing the air freshener on a flat surface such as a
dashboard, desk or shelf.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the
present invention, reference should be had to the following
detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous
reference numbers and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a cut away plan view of the body of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a basketball embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a baseball/glove embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 5 is a cut away perspective view of the battery compartment
and light bulb assembly of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the battery compartment and light bulb
assembly of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, the internal structure of the ball assembly of
the invention, generally designated by the numeral 10, is shown.
The ball assembly comprises a frame 11 with a base 12, an cuter
shell 13 and a light bulb 14. Frame 11 is generally spherical and
has a number of ribs 15 which have openings 16 therebetween. Shell
13 covers the exterior of frame 11 and encloses the space defined
by the frame except for an opening at the bottom of the frame. The
material of shell 13 is translucent. Base 12 is connected to the
bottom of frame 11 and is removable to allow access to the interior
of the frame.
Base 12 is in the shape of a disk and has a light bulb 14 which
extends outward from the center of one of the flat sides of the
base. Base 12 is attachable to frame 11 so that light bulb 14
extends into the interior of frame 11. Base 12 has a battery
compartment 17 therein for holding a battery 18 to provide power
for light bulb 14. On the side of base 12 opposite light bulb 14 is
on/off switch 19. Battery compartment door 20 encloses battery
compartment 17.
Referring to FIG. 3, the exterior of invention 30 is shown. Shell
13 is patterned to resemble a basketball. The shell can easily be
imprinted with the logo of a team so that the shell and logo can be
displayed, either with or without illumination from light bulb 14
within ball assembly 10. Ball assembly 10 is enclosed within net
21, which has a filament 22 at its upper end for hanging the
invention on a rear view mirror or other object. The filament 22 is
attached to net 21 by a small closure which holds the upper edge of
net 21 together at a single point and which has a loop through
which filament 22 can be threaded and thereby attached. Net 21 has
a small opening at its lower end through which base 12 can extend
slightly so that the base can be removed from frame 11 without
removing the ball assembly 10 from net 21.
Frame 11 is manufactured from a plastic such as ABS plastic using
an injection molding process. Shell 13 is manufactured from
open-cell foam board and is cut into appropriate shapes using steel
ruled dies. The foam board pieces of shell 13 are preferably
printed with the appropriate design before assembly with the frame.
The printing is accomplished by using a silkscreen printing
process. The printing of the shell may include the printing of a
logo, or the logo may be manufactured as an applique which is later
applied to the shell.
The open-cell structure of the foam board allows this material to
absorb moisture and/or liquids so that the shell can be impregnated
with a scented liquid to provide air freshening capability. The
foam board shell is impregnated during manufacturing with a liquid
which is a carrier for a volatile scent agent. "Volatile" here is
used to describe the tendency of the scent agent to disperse itself
into its surroundings, whether at a slow or fast rate. The foam
board may also be considered a carrier for the liquid. As a part of
the manufacturing process, the liquid is allowed to evaporate,
leaving the scent agent in the open cells of the foam board where
they can slowly disperse into the air around the air freshener. The
scented liquid could be reapplied by the user after several months
of use.
The net around the air freshener is made from a nylon mesh or
similar material. The filament can be made of the same material as
the net, in which case the length of the filament is preferably
adjustable, or it can be made from a loop of elastic material which
has a length appropriate to allow the filament to be stretched over
a rear view mirror or other objects from which the invention is
hung.
The base and battery compartment components of the invention can be
manufactured using the injection molding process, but are readily
available as remanufactured components. Base 12 need not be
removable if the lightbulb 14 and/or battery compartment 17 are
removable apart from the base. FIG. 5 shows a premanufactured
battery compartment/lightbulb assembly which is inserted into base
12. The assembly has tabs 24 at each end and is held in place by
means of two sheet metal type screws 23 which are placed through
the tabs and screwed into the base. The battery is enclosed within
the battery compartment by compartment door 20 as shown in FIG.
6.
The assembly of FIG. 5 has a light bulb bracket 25 attached to the
side of battery compartment 17 and extending away therefrom. The
light bulb 14 has a wattage similar to that of a standard Christmas
tree bulb. A pair of wires 26 connect the electrodes of light bulb
14 to one of the battery contacts 27 and one of the switch contacts
28. Another wire 26 connects the remaining contacts of the battery
and switch to complete the circuit. It is also envisioned that
simple insertion and removal of the battery could serve as the
switch mechanism.
The invention may be modified in many ways from the embodiment
described above. Modifications may be relatively minor, such as the
use of a frame which has a loop directly attached to the top of the
frame through which a string can be threaded to provide means for
hanging the invention. Materials other than open cell foam board
may also be used to form the shell if they provide suitable means
to retain the air freshening scent. Other modifications may be more
substantial. For example, the frame and shell may be manufactured
as a single piece of injectable foam. The invention may also be
manufactured in the shape of articles other than a basketball, such
as the baseball and glove shown in FIG. 4. In such an embodiment,
either the baseball or the glove or both can be manufactured as the
air freshening frame/shell portion of the invention.
The invention is used by simply placing it in the location in which
the air freshening is required. As mentioned above, the invention
can be hung from a rear view mirror in an automobile and it can
also be placed on the dashboard so that it sits on its base. The
invention may likewise be hung or placed on its base in a room,
such as a child's bedroom, on a shelf or in any other suitable
location.
The invention may be used to display the logo of a favorite team or
a child's name by imprinting the name or logo directly on the shell
or by printing an applique which is then applied to the shell. The
light bulb within the frame can be turned on to illuminate the logo
for better viewing. The light bulb can also be turned on to provide
a heat source to accelerate the rate at which the scent escapes
from the shell and enters the environment around the invention.
Thus, if more air freshening is required, the light bulb is simply
turned on--the invention does not have to be moved or mechanically
adjusted.
It can be seen from the preceding description that a device for
freshening stale air which can be hung from a rear view mirror or
other protruding object, has a three-dimensional shape resembling
sports equipment, is manufactured in a form which is suitable for
displaying, provides an illuminated package for displaying a name
or team logo and has a warming element for enhancing the
scent-producing capacity of the air freshener has been
provided.
It is noted that the embodiment of the air freshener described
herein in detail for exemplary purposes is of course subject to
many different variations in structure, design, application and
methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be
made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught,
and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein
detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the
law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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